Scale.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

M. SCHWARTZ. SCALE.

APPLICATION PIL ED MAY 22, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

zi b/enmf' 'No. 731,625. I PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

M. SCHWARTZ.

SCALE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

. PATENT OFFICE.

SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,625, dated June 23, 1903.

Application filed May 22 ,19l)2.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scales, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in scales for Weighing letters and light merchandise; and its object is to provide a scale of this type which shall show at one and the same time the number of ounces upon the scale-pan and the amount of postage which will be required, the indications being so made that there will be no possibility of confusing one with the other.

To these and certain minor ends my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of my improved scale. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, the indicating-plate and numeralplate being removed. Fig. 3 is a section in the line 3 3 of Fig. 5 looking forward. Fig. 4 is a section in the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking downward. Fig. 5 is asection in the line 5 5 of 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a section in the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 looking downward. Fig. 7 is a fullsized perspective of the spring-coupler. Fig. 8 is a full-sized front view of the coupler and adjacent nut, showing how the coupler is attached to the spring; and Fig. 9 is a front View of the numeral-plate.

Referring to the drawings, A is the frame of the machine, consisting of a base a, side pieces a", a top and rear piece combined, a and a circular front plate a having a downwardly and laterally projecting lug 60 which secures it to the base a. This construction is old and well known and is clearly indicated in the drawings. Therefore no further description of it will be necessary. Attached to the back plate of the frame and formed integrally therewith are two lugs A A, having upper and lower pivots I) 1) extending from one to the other. These pivots support two parallel members B B, the shape of which is clearly shown in Fig. 6. These members have pivotally secured between their forward Serial mflosnts. (N0 model.)

this arm is connected by a spring D and a suitable coupling mechanism to the top of the case, the construction of which will presently be described. This spring holds the memher. 0 normally upward, but permits it to be moved down when a weight is placed upon the scale-pan C This whole construction aside from the spring-coupling, which will presently be described in detail, is old and well known and nothing more need be said about it, A bracket E is secured to the front plate a of the scale, and to this bracket is pivoted an arm F, having at its extremity a notch f. Upon the pivot of this armis secured nonrotatably with respect to the arm a pinion F. This pinion is engaged and adapted to be rotated by a rack-bar G, which at its upper end is pivotally connected to a lug 0 extending forward from the arm '0 of the memher 0, which is adapted to run up and down in a slot provided for the purposein thefront plate a of the frame of the scale. The rackbar G is provided with a laterally-extending weighted portion G, which holds it in continuous engagement with the pinion F. A rearwardly-extending lug e upon the bracket E prevents any accidental disengagement which might take place, although the weight G alone is quite sufficient, as a rule, to prevent this. The operation of this much of the scale will be readily understood from the description of this construction and reference to the drawings. When a Weight is placed upon the scale-pan, the arm 0 moves downward, carrying with it the weighted rack-bar G. This of course rotates the pinion F and the notched arm F in the direction of the hands of a watch. WVhen the weight is removed, the reverse operation takes place and the arm F returns to its normal position, which is shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the front plate a issecured an indicating-plate H, having four holes or slots 71. 71. h 72/. Upon the rear'side of this plate is pivoted a numeral-plate I. This numeralplate is supported upon a suitable rearwardlyextending pivot, the entire construction behas upon its rear side a lugi, engaged by the notchf upon the arm F. The weight of this lug is counterbalanced by suitable weights 1', also secured upon the rear of the numeralplate. Inasmuch as the scale requires great delicacy and inasmuch as it is desirable to have the numeral-plate as nearly symmetrical as possible, the counterbalancing-weights are distributed at intervals around the circumference, although it is obvious that the same purpose could be accomplished by placing one large weight immediately opposite to the lug i. It is quite obvious that the rotation of the arm F, as heretofore described,

will rotate the numeral-plate.

The arrangement of the numbers upon the numeral-plate is substantially as follows: A circumferential series 1, Fig. 9, shows at the top of the slot h and indicates the number of ounces upon the scale-pan. The next two rows inside of this, 2 and 2 show at the bottom of the slot 72 and indicate the amount of postage which will be required for letters of the weight upon the scale-pan. It will be observed that the two circles 2 and 2 alternate 2, 4:, 6, 8, and so on, the alternate numbers being in the same circle. This alternate arrangement is merely adopted in order that space upon the numeral-plate may be economized. The next two series 3 3 show through the slot h? and indicate the amount of postage required for merchandise. The same alternating arrangement between the two circles is there used. The next circle of numerals 4 shows through the lower slot and indicates the amount of postage required for books,and the inner-series o shows through the leftfhand slot andindicates the amount of postage required for papers. The way in which these numbers indicate is shown in Fig. 1, where the scale is at zero. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 9 that if the numeral-plate is turned upon its pivot to the right, so that one ounce is indicated, numeral 2 will be moved opposite the lower part of the upper slot and numeral 1 in the circle 3 will be moved opposite the slot 71 numeral 1 in the circle 4; opposite the slot 77?, and numeral l in the circle 5 opposite the slot h. The numerals are so arranged that the proper indications are made whatever the number of ounces may be.

In the use of a scale of this kind it is necessary to adjust it so that the arm F will normally remain at zero, and, further, it is necessary to vary the length of the spring to get it of the proper effective strength. This is accomplished by means of the coupler heretofore referred to. A stirrup d,having projecting flanges d, is secured between two adjacent turns of the spring, and this is screwed up and down in the spring until the proper effective length is obtained. This is obtained,

of course, by placing a standard weight upon the scale-pan and adjusting the length of the spring by screwing the stirrup up and down it until the pointer moves the proper distance. A small eyebolt D secures the stirrup d and extends through the top of the case, where it is secured by a thumb-screw D The particular advantage of this construction over the forms hitherto in use lies in the fact that the spring is pivotally connected to the eyebolt, and therefore as it moves back and forth with the member 0 there is no binding or unnecessary friction. Scales of this class are so delicate that even the slightest friction is very undesirable, and for this reason my stirrupand-eyebolt construction is very desirable. When the spring has been adjusted to the proper length, the thumb-screw D isturned until the scale with no weight upon the pan indicates zero. The device is then ready for use.

The fact that the numeral-plate is mounted to rotate upon a fixed pivot in the indicatorplate makes the scale more delicate than it would be were the numeral-plate mounted directly upon the shaft. If the plate were mounted directly upon the shaft, it would necessarily be mounted in front of the bracket E in about the same position as is the arm F. Inasmuch as this is upon the free end of the shaft and not between its bearings, a wedging or jamming action would be caused on the bearings of the shaft, which would render it less delicate. With my construction, however, the numeral-plate is mounted to rotate upon a separate shaft or pivot of its own, this shaft or pivot being stationary. The result of this is that there is no wedging action either on the shaft or on the bearing of the numeral-plate, and for this reason considerable friction is done away with, which is a distinct advantage in a type of scale so delicate as is this. In other words, the advantage of my structure over certain of those heretofore in use lies in the fact that the numeral-plate,which might be mounted upon the projecting end of the shaft, is replaced by a comparatively light arm, so that the wedging action is much decreased and the numeralplate is mounted upon a separate bearing, where no wedging action can take place.

I realize that considerable variations can be made in the! details of this construction, and I therefore do not desire to limit myself to the specific form herein set forth.

. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a scale, the combination with an indicator-plate, of a pivot thereon, and a numeral-plate mounted on said pivot, a pinion mounted on an independent pivot, a scalepan, and means of connection between the scale-pan and the pinion and means of connection between the pinion and the numeralplate, substantially as described.

2. In a scale, the combination with an indicator-plate, a pivot, and a numeral-plate hand, at Chicago, in the county of Cook and mounted on said pivot, of a suitable shaft State of Illinois, this 7th day of May, A. D. IO

mounted on an independent pivot, an arm connecting said shaft with said numeral- 1902. plate, a pinion on said shaft a scale-pan and a rack connected thereto, engaging said pin- MICHAEL SCHWVARTZ' CHAS. O. SHERVEY, RUSSELL WILEs.

substantially as described.

ion to rotate the same, as said pan is moved, Witnesses:

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my I 

